Shutter-fastener



(HoModeI.)

H. B. SHATTUCK.

Shutter Fastener.

No. 242,381, Patented may 31,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE B. SHATTUGK, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTER-.FASTENER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.242,381, dated May 31, 1881.

Application tiled March 1G, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE B. SHA'rrUoK, ofthe city of Lowell, county ofMiddlesex, and State 0f Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Tindow -Blind Fastenings, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My improvement relates to spring-fasten ings for blinds or shutters,made of wire; and its objects are to provide a wire spring-fasteningwhich shall be supported upon an unyielding bearing to make aquick-actin g spring, and to prevent its becoming indented into the woodof the blind to which it is attached, and at the same time to support ittransversely, to permit of a greater proportion of the entire length ofthe wire forming the fastening being used for the spring-arm than hasbeen heretofore done, and to provide a fastening-spring little liable toget out of order. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation showing mydevice attached to a window-blind in position. Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe fulcrum or bridge seen in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthespring, showing the eye and loop, not seen in Fig. l.

A is the building to which the blind B is attached.

O is a wire spring designed to engage with a catch, D, placed upon thesill of the window when the blind is closed, and asomewhat si milarcatch placed upon the side of the house when the blind is open. Thesecatches are inclined upon their outer and upper sides, and provided witha notch at the upper end of the incline, and so placed upon the side ofthe building and upon the window-sill that the spring-fastener will, asthe blind is swung toward the one or the other, come into contact withthe inclined side, and be sprung as it slides upward toward the notch7reaching which the wire spring drops into it and holds the blind. Thespring-fastenin g is attached to the under edge of the lower cross-barof the blind by a screw, e, which passes through an eye, c2, formed bybending the end of the wire forming the spring-fastener. The wireforming the spring is bent so as to have a short inclined brace-arm, o,reaching obliquely away from the eye through which the screw e passes,and

when thus raised from the surface of the wood it is continued parallelwith it, forming the spring-arm c2, whose extremity is bent into a loopor ring, which can be readily taken hold of to unfasten the spring fromthe catches.

Under tbespring, at the point where the long and short arms unite, isplaced the fulcrum f, which has a hollow, f', formed upon its crown toreceive the wire, a tang, f2, to drive into the wood to hold it inplace, and shoulders f3 to prevent its sinking farther into the woodthan it is at rst placed.

g is a staple placed over the springarm of thefastener, near its end, tohold it from vibrating when not engaged with the catches upon thebuilding, and to prevent its being bent sidewise beyond its limit ofresilience when brought into contact with any object bearingtransversely against it.

Heretofore wire blind-fasteners have been made with a portion of thewire next to the point of attachment to the shutter lying parallel withand upon the surface of the wood t0 which they are attached, to givesupport to the spring-arm comprising a continuation of the wire elevatedabove such surface. Such part which supported the spring-arm ithas beenfound necessary to make of a considerable length, because otherwise itbecame embedded in the wood, and the end of the spring-arm was not thenmaintained with resilient force sufiicient to make an active andefficient spring. Another way of obtaining a greater elasticity, andproviding for the depression of the supporting-point of the wire incontact with the wood into it, which is very likely to occur when thewood is wet, or to result from wear after the spring has been some timein use, is by forming a loop in the wire, to act as a fulcruln and comeinto contact with the wood, as shown in Patent No. 166,819; but allthese methods require, to form an effective and durable spring,

that the part of the wire coming in contact with the wood and formingthe support for the spring-arm bear at a considerable distance from thepoint of attachment; but the lengthening of the supporting part or thearm between it and the point of fastening, or the forming of a wire-loopsupport, must be effected either by increasing the length of the entiredevice or the wire used in its construction, or

IOO

they are supported upon a fulcrum which is un yieldi n 0.

1 provide a metal fulerum having sufficient hold and bearing upon thewood to always remain where placed, and, by reason of itsincolnpressible nature, I can maintain a support always unyielding,regardless of the condition ofthe wood into which it is placed, andtherefore that can be placed very close to the point of attachment ofthe fastener, and the shorter arm from the point of support to suchpoint of attachment may be -made of the least possible length withoutimpairing the permanence of the structure; and therefore, withoutincreasing the length of the fastener or the wire required to form thefastener, the spring-arm may be made longer, because of such bettersupport; anda greater quickness of action be obtained in the spring'armalso.

By providing the fulcrum with a tang which is driven aeonsiderabledistanee into the wood, and a hollow in the crown into whichthe wire is seated, a side support is given to the springarm, and it isprevented from pushingor crowding over and coming into contact with thestaple placed over it near its extreme end.

What I claim is- A spring-wire fastener having a fasteningeye, e2,inclined brace-arm c, and horizontal spring-arm e', in combination withthe fulerum j', provided with the tang f2, and shoulders f, extendingeach way from the tang transversely to the line of direction ofthespring-arm, substantially as described.

HORACE B. Sl-IATTUCK.

Witnesses HOWARD S. ADAMS, LEPINE (J. RICE.

